A new job creation initiative is securing the futures of refugees and asylum seekers by setting them up with their own businesses.

The ‘Business in a Box’ scheme, a pioneered by refugee micro-finance provider Thrive, is seeing refugees and asylum seekers set up their own courier and cleaning franchised enterprises.

The refugees have secured contracts with Australia Post as owner driver couriers and with ‘Keen to Clean’ as franchised cleaning service providers.

“The Business in a Box initiative is essentially enabling refugees to take on proven business models with lower risk and greater support. The business in a box comes with customers, training, equipment and systems support. If a client is determined with a strong work ethic, they will be successful,” said Thrive State Manager Arie Moses.

Thrive has placed more than 20 refugees and asylum seekers in their own business through the scheme with another 50 in the application.

“In one example, through the scheme we are supporting people to become self-employed driver-couriers with Australia Post. They just need their own one tonne van and they can get to work. And if needed, Thrive can provide finance for the purchase of the van,” Mr Moses said.

“We match them with an Australia Post business partner in the area where they live and provide three year contract,” he said

“With Keen to Clean, we provide finance for clients to purchase a franchise with guaranteed income level. Keen to Clean find the customers and do all the negotiations so our clients, many of whom do not have strong English, do not have to worry about looking for clients and negotiating rates, a challenging task for most people.

“We have an arrangement with Keen to Clean that has meant our clients have continued to have an income even through the COVID-19 lock downs,” Mr Moses said. 

One of the new ‘Business in a Box’ entrepreneurs is ‘Manny’, a self-employed Australia Post courier.

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Manny studied to work in the marketing and communications sector which was a demanding yet rewarding job.

He was forced to move to Australia in 2019 for political reasons and started his own printing company. But when the COVID-19 pandemic reduced his turnover, he had to look elsewhere.

With the help of Thrive, Manny created a job for himself with Australia Post as an owner driver and is now delivering up to 200 parcels each day.

“I would strongly recommends this job to people who are physically capable and mentally adaptable because it is a great job!” he said. 

Today, Manny has a wonderful family, and aside from his work as an Australia Post owner driver, he still has his successful painting business on the side.

“I am very comfortable living in Australia and I want to thank Thrive for their ongoing mentorship and support,” he said.

Another newly minted businesswoman is Eritrean refugee Selam Haile.

Selam came to Australia in 2011 as a refugee. Earlier, she had fled Eritrea finding work as a housekeeper in Sudan. But life there was difficult for her. The strict Islamic cultural rules meant her life – including her clothes, speech and where she could go – was controlled by the government.

She arrived in Australia alone and struggled at first.

“It was very difficult at first, especially learning a new language. And one of the hardest things for me was to accept that I was finally free,” Salem said.

She spent seven months doing an intensive English course at TAFE before she got a job as a personal carer; she then moved to a job as a hotel cleaner at Crown Towers, in Melbourne. 

But Salem had always had bigger plans

“My dream was to open my own cleaning business one day. It finally came true and I’m very happy. My dream has come true,” Salem said.

“I’m very grateful to the support I got form Thrive and also from AMES Australia and Africause,” she said.

Salem’s doctor had referred her to Thrive. She then applied for a loan which was approved. She has now started her ‘Keen to Clean’ franchise business.

“The loan helped a lot. Arie walked me through the steps and gave me a chance. He was a very sweet and kind man. I could not have done it without his and everyone else’s help,” she said.

“Now, I am very happy with my job and with my new life in Australia,” Salem said.